A Different Kind of Invasive Species: Pet Goldfish Gone Awry [VIDEO]

Pet owners have possibly created an epidemic.

Officials in Alberta, Canada are seeing an increasingly worrisome rise in goldfish numbers in their waterways. Pet owners are the number one problem, releasing these creatures from their tanks for various reasons into the waterways.

There are thousands of invasive species in areas all over the country and around the world where animals are thriving because they have no natural predators and excess amounts of food. Humans are the number one problem when it comes to this issue, and this goldfish example was a mere accident intended with harmless intentions.

Some areas have seen such an uprise that there are actual breeding populations. Fish that can repopulate as fast as the giant goldfish consume valuable resources that many other native species rely on, creating vastly more competition. This competition creates problems for our native fish and can also diminish their numbers and eventually push them towards extinction.

Goldfish are just the example here, however this relates to species of all kinds that aren’t native to the environment they are brought into. Pet owners of any kind that are looking to get rid of their pets should consult veterinarians about humane euthanization services.